1. Germany After WWI

2. Why Is This Important?
To analyze how Hitler came to power and why World War II broke out, it helps to understand the conditions in Germany between 1918 and
There are FOUR major reasons why conditions were perfect for a man like Adolf Hitler to take power.

3. 1: Economic Problems (Inflation)
Instead of taxing people to fund WWI, the German government borrowed money.
As a result, the country was left with a huge debt.
To pay off the debt, the Germans printed more money which caused inflation.
The government had 300 paper mills working 24 hours a day to make more money.
The country was not generating any real wealth, so prices of goods and services rose astronomically.

4. Let’s do an experiment…
Inflation
A brief explanation:
a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money
Let’s do an experiment…

5. Economic Problems: Inflation (continued)
Inflation example:
In spring 1922, 300 marks would buy an American dollar.
By early 1923 it took 50,000 marks to buy an American dollar.
Soon it took billions of marks to buy a stamp.
A shopping bag full to pay a streetcar fare
People carried wheelbarrows full of money.

6. Cost of bread in Berlin

7. 1923: Selling money by weight at the height of hyper-inflation

8. A German young lady using worthless paper money to heat her home in 1923

9. Children playing with stacks of worthless currency, Germany 1923

10. German Marks

11. Economic Problems: Inflation (continued)
A lifetime’s savings could become valueless in a matter of weeks.
People started to barter or trade goods rather than use money.
People would spend the money they earned daily so it wouldn’t devalue overnight.
Some jobs paid 2 times a day to accommodate inflation.
When the new currency, the Rentenmark, replaced the worthless Reichsbank marks on November 16, 1923 and 12 zeros were cut from prices, prices in the new currency remained stable.

12. 2: Political Instability
After WWI, Germany had more than 12 political parties.
None was strong enough to take control and help the country.
There were three groups: Communists, Social Democrats, and National Socialists (Nazis).

13. Communists Gov’t run by councils of workers
Industries owned by the gov’t
Military reduced
Workers protected
Supporters: factory and agricultural workers, some teachers and professors, pacifists

14. Social Democrats (Liberals)
Gov’t should be run by elected officials of all parties
A few key industries should be run by the gov’t
Some terms of Versailles should be honored
Rights for workers
Freedom of religion and press
Supporters: some workers and professionals, Christians

15. National Socialists (Nazis)
Gov’t should be run by the army and wealthy
Industry should be privately owned
Power of the military increased
No democratic government
Activities of Jews and foreigners should be restricted because they are responsible for problems
Supporters: army, unemployed, big business, land owners, aristocrats

16. 3: Treaty of Versailles Restrictions on their military including:
only 100,000 men in the army
conscription was banned – soldiers had to be volunteers
no submarines or airplanes
only six battleships
the Rhineland had to be de-militarized
Reparations: Germany had to pay for all the damage of the war – £6,600 million (almost $400 billion U.S. dollars in today's money)

17. Treaty of Versailles (continued)
Lost Territory (AND PEOPLE):
Holocaust Museum Website (map)
Map of Europe (video)

18. Treaty of Versailles (continued)
In all, Germany lost:
10% of its land
all of its colonies
12% of its population
16% of its coalfields
half its iron and steel industry
most of its army and navy
all of its air force
War Guilt Clause: Germany had to accept the blame ‘for causing all the loss and damage’ of the war.

19. Treaty of Versailles (continued)
People of Germany were humiliated and felt it was unjust
Hitler promised to:
Rearm Germany
Get revenge on enemies
Cancel the treaty
Expand the army
Restore German honor
Win back German territory by force

20. 4: Depression and Unemployment
Americans didn’t buy German manufactured goods, banks didn’t lend to Germany to rebuild after WWI
France and Britain put large tariffs on German goods
Many people became unemployed
Workers saw their wages decrease
Germany was hurt by Stock Market Crash

21. Depression and Unemployment (continued)
People lived in forests; farmers used weapons to protect crops
Starving people came to the city to try to find food
One news item reported 30% of Germany was unemployed
People were deliberately getting arrested to get food
Hitler used this to blame the gov’t and encourage people that they wanted a dictatorship

22. Germany was in a desperate state and Hitler took advantage of it to further his dream USHMM WWII (video)